Chapter 122: Samaritan of the Black Rock Mountain (3)

༺ Samaritan of the Black Rock Mountain (3) ༻

The Black Rock Mountain? Pandemona.

The true identity of the Black Rock was the basalt formations formed by volcanic activity in the region.

As we reached the mountain entrance, I could already feel the geothermal heat, and sweat began to trickle down my face. Was this volcano still active?

Holy shit! I never thought I would visit a volcano in my lifetime. The only volcano I had been to was Mount Halla when I went on a school trip in high school. But I wasn't sure if Mount Halla was a dormant or extinct volcano.

Anyway, I was pretty sure that the volcanic mountain, Pandemona, where I was standing was still very much alive, with hot magma boiling deep below.

We decided to go on foot on this rugged mountain, where the intensity of the volcanic activity was so strong that not even a single tree or blade of grass could be found in its surroundings.

I felt somewhat confident since I had been quite the climber since I was young but ascending a mountain filled with scathing geothermal heat proved to be really challenging.

Sizzle— Sizzle—

I wrinkled my nose at the pungent smell of sulfur and asked, "Is the spring really located in a place like this?"

No one responded to my question.

Considering that this volcano was considered a forbidden sanctuary or a forbidden region, it was very likely that no one had ever been here before.

As we continued struggling to climb the rocky terrain of the mountain, fragments of what seemed to be broken statues and the remnants of buildings appeared here and there.

Curious about what they were, I made a puzzled expression and then suddenly heard a gasp.

"I didn't expect to discover Lord Pluto's sanctuary on our way."

Paranoy opened her mouth as if she knew something about these structures.

"What do you mean?"

"The Black Rock Mountain, once known as Pandemona, is originally the domain of Lord Pluto. However, I heard that the followers of Venus invaded and destroyed all the temples and then took all the sacred relics."

At that moment, Marco, climbing the mountain while grunting and groaning, interrupted Paranoy's words.

Marco was the type who liked to show off what he knew, so once he had something to share, he just couldn't contain himself.

"I've also heard about that story. Although the temple of Venus is the strongest and most prominent in this area right now, this place was originally a battlefield where the followers of many gods and goddesses once fought and shed blood due to innumerable conflicts."

It seemed that wars and conflicts among the followers of different gods and goddesses existed even in this world.

"...This place had been terribly destroyed all those years ago. Although I am now a follower of Lady Vesta, I am still someone who once received favor from Lord Pluto, so this sight is a bit too much for me."

To think that the followers of different gods and goddesses would fight each other to claim this mountain, I wondered if there was anything good hidden in this place. Were the sulfur or other similar substances near the volcano considered valuable for the denizens of this world?

"Let's rest a bit before moving on—"

Luna was apparently exhausted from carrying the heavy jar. She took a deep breath and sat down on a nearby rock to rest and catch her breath.

Considering that we had been climbing without rest for about an hour, taking a break seemed like a good idea right about now.

"Alright, let's rest here for a while. We'll rest for about twenty minutes, so Marco, keep track of the time."

"Understood, brother. I think 20 minutes will be around five songs..."

Strum—

From what I'd noticed till now, Marco, this bastard, seemed to have an internal clock or something since he was very good at keeping track of the time.

Being able to keep track of time accurately was quite an impressive ability, but besides that convenience, this bastard wasn't very useful.

Why did I bring this bastard along again?

However, it seemed that if we wanted to draw the black water from the spring, we had to bring at least one minstrel along with us. That was why the Holy Maiden of Venus requested my presence along with Marco.

I wondered why though.

Did the minstrels form some kind of union among themselves and create a quota system for fitting in— like the quota for people of different skin tones in Hollywood movies?

Anyway, we put down our baggage and weapons on the rocky ground, relieving our tired bodies against the backdrop of Marco's singing.

Damn it. I was dying from sweating profusely due to the seething geothermal heat coming off from the ground while carrying such a heavy load.

Indeed, this must be the reason why this quest was mainly done by veteran adventurers.

Nonetheless, it was a relief that no demons or bandits had popped out along the way.

Perhaps it was because the land itself was so barren that not even monsters or creatures could survive here.

Looking at the scattered bone fragments and shattered stone slabs littered around the region, it felt like I could understand why this place was designated as the domain of Pluto— the god of death.

An uninhabitable land.

A mountain that was hot, humid, and emitting a peculiar smell.

It somehow reminded me of my hometown, and of the health center I used to despise; as if it encompassed all the elements I detested about that region.

That place must still be bubbling with all sorts of weird things. It was the familiar smell of medicinal baths. Their smell would stick to your body no matter what, even a steaming hot sauna couldn't wash it off.

As I was briefly lost in reminiscence of my hometown, Luna stood up from her resting spot and rummaged through the fallen rocks on the ground.

"Luna, what are you doing?"

"Hmm? Ah, since we've come to the mountain, I thought I'd see if there are any useful ingredients here. It would be great if I could find some horned lizards or ants!"

"What do you need ants for?"

"T-That's a secret."

Rustle— Rustle—

Luna continued to search between the rocks and boulders for a while. However, there was practically no chance of finding the ingredients Luna was looking for in this barren mountain where everything withered and dried up under the scorching heat.

Black sand.

Black stones.

This place only had black minerals and gravel... Nothing else...

However, Luna still dug through the soil, seemingly unwilling to give up on her endeavor. So, Paranoy, who was watching her from the side, spoke up.

"...Ms. Luna, there's nothing here."

"Is that so?"

"The only things that anyone can find in this dead land are possessions of the dead..."

Possessions of the dead. Hearing Paranoy, who had once been involved with the Pluto cult, mention it gave an eerie feeling that was hard to describe in words.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The rumors about there being a temple on this black mountain turned out to be true, after all. Starting from the middle of the tall mountain, there were stone steps laid out on the rocky surface.

From the entrance, ascending the mountain was quite challenging due to the rolling stones and the treacherous slope. However, reaching the top was not much of a problem once we climbed the stairs.

At the summit, there lay a wide lake resembling a volcanic crater. It was hard to describe. But, it was reminiscent of Lake Caldera.

The only difference from Lake Caldera that I knew of was that it was not filled with crystal blue water but instead a strange, black, bubbling liquid.

"Wow, Hassan, it's really black water."

"This sight reminds me of a strange evil figure."

A lake filled with black water.

It truly resembled the Dead Sea.

It was truly like a sea of death. If someone fell deep into this ominous lake, no one would even be able to find their body— their body sinking into the eldritch depths, never to be seen again.

Damn, it was so terrifying.

As I turned my eyes away from the chilling sensation I felt watching this ominous lake, I noticed traces of a structure next to it that seemed similar to the Mars Guild or the Venus Temple that I went to recently.

Broken roofs and collapsed pillars, debris scattered everywhere—they reminded me of the destroyed Mars Guild after being attacked by the wretched cultists.

The only difference between these ruins was that the traces and fragments of this building were all made of obsidian rocks.

"H-Here is Lord Pluto's temple..."

Paranoy, the former cultist of the Pluto Cult, trembled as though she had been deeply moved by being present at the ruins of the destroyed temple of her former deity.

"L-Lord Pluto's temple...!"

Holy damn! Could it be that this girl hasn't completely converted yet? Maybe I should give her a couple of bonks on the forehead to fix her up a bit?

As I seriously contemplated whether to bonk her or not, Marco, carrying a guitar-like instrument on his back, pulled the multi-stringed object out and headed towards the temple's ruins.

"How about going inside? A purification ceremony is necessary to draw water from the spring. We need to pay our respects to the owner of this land."

Upon hearing his words, our group followed Marco into the temple's ruins. Like what we saw from the outside, the interior was also desolate, destroyed, and devoid of anything intact.

However, the ruins still had a certain sense of grandeur attached to them, even in their severely broken and ruined state.

"Wow, what is this?"

I exclaimed with my mouth wide open while looking at the enormous statue placed directly in the center of the temple. In front of me sat a towering black statue that was about two stories tall in height.

The statue depicted a muscular man with a rugged physique.

But it had no head above its neck.

Only the head was cleanly severed off, giving it an eerie and creepy appearance.

On the other hand, it somehow seemed to fit well with the atmosphere of this broken, obsidian-black temple precisely due to that.

Someone must have intentionally beheaded or destroyed the statue. It was probably because conflicts among the followers of different gods and goddesses were quite frequent in this region.

"Hassan, it's the god of treasures and wealth— Lord Pluto."

Luna whispered next to me and then gathered her palms together while murmuring something like an incantation.

"Oh, mighty Lord Pluto, god of wealth, please make me rich quickly. And—"

Although Pluto was known as the god of death, he was also known as the god of wealth and treasures. It was said that all the treasures and minerals underground belonged to Pluto and him alone, making him the richest among all the gods.

Even if Pluto's image was unfavorable due to being the object of worship for the cultists serving the power of death and demise, he still was a significant deity for those who sought financial fortune.

However, as someone who had engaged in duels involving life and death with the Pluto cultists a few times, I couldn't help but feel a certain sense of discomfort about having to pray in front of this headless statue.

"Uhm, Mr. Hassan."

Paranoy— the nymph, cautiously approached me and spoke in a hesitant tone.

"Uhm, Mr. Hassan, do you not want to pray?"

"That's not something I would like to do if possible."

"But still, wouldn't it be worth trying to pray to the Lord? We rarely have the opportunity to visit Lord Pluto's temple. Who knows, you might receive an unexpected response."

She whispered to me as if tempting me to do something horribly wrong, akin to a devil's whisper. At this moment, I thought she was not a nymph but rather an imp.

"Uh, well... Aren't you quite familiar with the magical power of the underworld since you are capable of handling the Black Star of Acheron without any problems, Mr. Hassan? Besides, it is still uncertain whether Lord Pluto will respond well to your prayers."

"Really?"

"Really."

"What's so 'real' about it? You punk, it seems like you haven't fully come out of your cultist phase yet."

I swung my fist and struck Paranoy's head with a thud. Soon, Paranoy held her head, wincing in pain.

"Eek!"

I thought I had hit her rather gently, but maybe the impact came out stronger than I intended due to my recent increase in the strength stat. Paranoy seemed to be in considerable agony. I felt a slight sense of confusion and guilt at the sight of her writhing about in pain.

If she continued acting like a cultist, she would get not only a punch of my fist but also the Deathly Strikes of people in anger. This violence was necessary to rehabilitate and reform Paranoy.

"You dare to whisper such shallow sorcery in my ears!"

"C-Come on, just do it once..."

"No, you bastard."

It was at that moment, when Paranoy was in agony while holding her head, that Luna, who had been kneeling and praying to the headless statue, stood up and approached me.

"Hassan, didn't all the mist surrounding the swamps of Acheron disappear when you prayed to the god of light last time? Maybe, if you just pray to Lord Pluto, this time around, there will be a shower of gold from the skies?"

"Is that so?"

Luna's words sounded quite plausible. When I prayed to the god of light, the mist that had covered the swamps of Acheron had completely evaporated, consuming 200 task points in the process. Now, the swampy, crocodile-infested area had turned into a colorful field of flowers.

Coincidentally, I had saved up to 282 task points already.

If I prayed in Pluto's temple, as Luna suggested, could it be possible for gold to rain down from the sky?

"Well, hmm, let me give it a try."

"Y-You bonked me when I suggested the same before..."

"Shut up."

Ignoring the grumbling Paranoy, I cleared my throat a few times and took my position in front of the giant statue.

"Let us pray—"

As for the method of prayer, it was like what I had done before at Acheron. After arranging the food items stored in my backpack, I bowed in front of the makeshift altar twice.

This was what we called the makeshift Samaritan version of a sacrificial altar as an offering to the gods.

"Hehe, brother, no matter how many times I see it, your bizarre method of prayer never ceases to amaze me. I wonder what will happen next—"

"Hush, be quiet, big nose."

Luna warned Marco, who was talking to me when I was praying.

"Hmm."

With his mouth sealed, Marco simply watched my peculiar ritual. Paranoy, standing beside him, also had her eyes wide open, staring at me with her full attention.

Amidst everyone's attentive gazes, I finished the two bows and then shouted loudly into the air.

"Long Live Pluto!"

And then...

Silence—

....

Stillness—

I couldn't even swallow my saliva in anticipation of what was going to happen while I scanned my eyes toward the surroundings for a few minutes.

However, there were no signs of anything happening.

"Huft, damn it! Nothing's happening at all."

I quickly got up from my kneeling position due to the feeling of extreme anxiety and embarrassment that was wreaking havoc throughout my mind and body. My face became burning red, thinking that I had just turned myself into a clown.

Noticing my excessive embarrassment, Luna patted my back with her palm.

"Lord Pluto must be busy, Hassan. He's probably occupied with dealing with the souls that gather in the underworld every day. He must not have heard you."

However, Paranoy, who was standing next to her, repeated the words "Strange" like a malfunctioning parrot; as if something was amiss.

Then Paranoy suddenly grabbed onto my sleeve.

"C-Can we try one more time?"

"Hey, you startled me! Don't grab me like that. You're stretching out my clothes."

"I-I think the prayer was wrong. How about trying a more heartfelt prayer? I can teach you one if coming up with a more heartfelt prayer is difficult for you. O, Father who dwells deep within the earth, please provide us with our daily sustenance..."

From Paranoy's current state, I could sense the typical fanaticism of a cultist brimming in her eyes. It seemed to me that bringing her to this place was a huge mistake after all.

Should I give her another bonk on the head to calm her down?

"Hurry up, try it quickly! O, Father who dwells deep within the earth—"

"Damn it, why is this headless statue my father? Just step aside—!"

And at that moment, I pushed Paranoy away.

"What, what!?"

It seemed like I used more strength than I expected as Paranoy bounced off like a person falling onto a rock. She hit the strange statue in front of us with a thud and her face slammed against it.

"Ouch!"

Seeing the obvious pain she was in, Marco, Luna, and I all frowned and let out a collective "Ugh" of concern.

"Ouch, it must hurt a lot. Hassan, it would be better to apologize to Paranoy."

"But I told her not to grab me."

"I-It hurts, aargh! Blood, blood! Blood!?"

"Hey, are you okay? I didn't do it on purpose. I'm sorry."

I approached the bleeding Paranoy to try and console her when—

Crack— Crack— Crack—

The massive statue in front of us suddenly seemed to have cracked and a small fissure appeared in the middle, causing it to shatter.

Rumble— Rumble—

And from the cracked crevice of the headless statue, a considerable amount of money began to fall.

"Oh, holy shh!"

"...Holy shh! Hassan, those are gold! There is real gold inside the statue...!"